Arch of Titus: Rome and the Menorah
Yeshiva University
课程信息
The Arch of Titus: Rome and the Menorah explores one of the most significant Roman monuments to survive from antiquity, from the perspectives of Roman, Jewish and later Christian history and art. The Arch of Titus commemorates the destruction of Jerusalem by the emperor Titus in 70 CE, an event of pivotal importance for the history of the Roman Empire, of Judaism, of Christianity and of modern nationalism.
Together with your guide, Professor Steven Fine, you will examine ancient texts and artifacts, gaining skills as a historian as you explore the continuing significance of the Arch of Titus from antiquity to the very present. Course members will accompany Professor Fine on virtual "fieldtrips" to museums and historical sites in Los Angeles and New York where you will "meet" curators, scholars and artists. You will attend an academic colloquium and even "participate" in office hours. Students will participate in the latest advancement in the study of the Arch - the restoration of its original colors. You will learn how color was used in Roman antiquity and apply that knowledge to complete your own 'color restoration' of the Arch of Titus menorah relief.
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
1
Section
Why the Arch of Titus Matters
This module introduces the Arch of Titus and the larger themes of the course. Students will begin to view the Arch from the perspectives of Roman and Jewish history, of the victors and the vanquished, and the continuing history of this artifact. They will be sensitized to the presence of imagery related to the Arch in the larger culture, and be able to identity some of that imagery.
8 videos (Total 27 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz
8 videos
Why Does the Arch Matter?2m
Historical Context: The Jewish War and the Arch of Titus2m
The Arch: Romans and Jews3m
Colloquium: The Arch as a War Memorial, University of Southern California, 20155m
Objects Depicted on the Arch4m
Visiting The Roman Empire3m
The Arch: What Romans and Jews Saw1m
1 readings
Assignment 1: Field Research “The Arch of Titus is everywhere, if you know where to look!”10m
2
Section
The Arch of Titus as a Work of Art
This module explores the Arch of Titus as an artifact. Students will learn to look closely at this and other historical monuments in order to draw out the meanings of its iconography. They will see the Arch and especially its carved relief panels through selected refracting lenses.
8 videos (Total 33 min), 1 quiz
8 videos
The Arch: Location and Light6m
The Scenes on the Arch4m
From Triumphal Parade to Modern Restoration1m
Other Roman Art: Exploring the Getty, Part 26m
An Artist's View: Ruth Weisberg4m
Office Hours: What is a Menorah?3m
Office Hours, Students Ask Questions: How to Interpret an Artifact4m
1 practice exercises
Some Basic Facts About The Arch of Titus16m
3
Section
The Arch of Titus in History
Roman and Talmudic sources on Titus's triumphal parade in 71 CE will be the focus of this module. Students will read these ancient texts critically and assess the historical value for understanding the Arch and its later reception.
4 videos (Total 22 min), 1 quiz
4 videos
The Roman Triumphal Parade5m
Talmudic Rabbis of 3rd and 4th Centuries4m
Office Hours: The Arch in Roman Society5m
4
Section
The Arch of Titus from Antiquity to the Modern Era
Students will explore Jewish and Christian perspectives of the Arch and be able to explain how these perceptions affected their experience and interpretation of this artifact. Conversations with scholars and museum "visits" demonstrate a broad range of contemporary perspectives on the Arch and the continued significance of its iconography.
13 videos (Total 61 min), 1 quiz
13 videos
The Temple Vessels and the Fall of Rome: Procopius4m
The Arch and Medieval Christianity9m
The Arch and Medieval Christianity: A Conversation with Prof. William Stenhouse2m
The First Book about the Arch, 17165m
Bernard and Picart's Religious Ceremonies and Customs of All the Peoples of the World (1723-1743)4m
Through the Eyes of Contemporary Scholars: Professor Fine with Professor Stenhouse3m
Triumphal Arches From 1500s-1800s3m
Jews and the The Arch0m
Office Hours, Students ask Questions: Legends of the Menorah8m
The Arch at the Jewish Museum5m
The Arch and the Menorah at the Metropolitan Museum of Art5m
Jewish Artifacts3m
5
Section
The Arch of Titus in the Modern World
We will explore the ways that moderns have viewed and used the Arch, through the close reading of primary visual and literary sources. "Fieldtrips" and conversations contextualize the search for Arch imagery in our world, and demonstrate ways to recognize this iconography. Students will write a narrative of the Arch in modern times based upon primary literary sources.
9 videos (Total 51 min), 1 quiz
9 videos
The Arch: An American Perspective, with Professor William Stenhouse6m
Jews Reclaim the Arch4m
Jews Reclaim the Menorah4m
The Menorah as National Symbol11m
The Arch and Modern Nationalism2m
Israelis Retake the Arch Menorah5m
The Arch in Modern Israel9m
The Arch and Jewish Identity1m
6
Section
The Arch of Titus: Restoring its Color
Recent advances in the study of the original color, polychromy, of ancient Roman art will be presented. Students will learn the reasons for this rethinking of ancient art, and apply this learning to their own restorations of the polychrome of the Arch of Titus menorah panel.
8 videos (Total 38 min), 3 readings, 1 quiz
8 videos
Coloring the Ancient World3m
Discovering Color at the Arch of Titus, 20123m
Colloquium: The Polychromy of the Arch, University of Southern California, 2015--Part 16m
Colloquium: The Polychromy of the Arch, University of Southern California, 2015--Part 214m
Revealing Color on the Menorah3m
Office Hours, Students Ask Questions: Why Color Matters2m
The Arch of Titus: What Was and What Will Be...1m
3 readings
True Colors: Digital Restoration Restores True Colors to the Arch of Titus! Biblical Archaeology Review, Spring, 201710m
VIDEO: Colorizing the Arch of Titus: The Spoils of Jerusalem10m
Colorize The Arch of Titus Menorah Panel10m
4.5
Top Reviews
By RS•Aug 23rd 2016
I rate this course as excellent. It was fascinating and I enjoyed the detailed study. I also enjoyed the beautiful filming of the various locations and especially the Arch of Titus itself
By MB•Mar 29th 2016
Interesting and inciteful. Dr. Fine is an excellent instructor! Thank you, sir. I hope you will present more classes from Yeshiva University!
Instructor
Steven Fine
ProfessorAbout Yeshiva University
Now in its second century, Yeshiva University is the oldest and most comprehensive educational institution under Jewish auspices in America. It is an independent university that ranks among the nation's leading academic research institutions and, reflecting the time-honored tradition of Torah Umadda -- where Judaic and secular words intersect-- provides the highest quality Jewish and secular education of any Jewish university in the world.
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